Russell Simmons Defies State Lobby Commission, Puts $100,000 Up For Rally

Russell Simmons will hold a massive rally as well as the New York Hip-Hop Summit on August 30, 2004, the first day of the Republican National Convention in New York City. Simmons’ non-profit, the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) has filed for a permit to hold the demonstration outside Madison Square Garden, where the GOP […]

Russell Simmons will hold a massive rally as

well as the New York Hip-Hop Summit on August 30, 2004, the first day of the

Republican National Convention in New York City.

Simmons’ non-profit, the Hip-Hop Summit Action

Network (HSAN) has filed for a permit to hold the demonstration outside Madison

Square Garden, where the GOP National Convention will take place.

Over 50,000 people are expected to attend the

demonstration on the first day of the convention.

"I wrote a $100,000 check in defiance of

the lobbying commission," Simmons told AllHipHop.com. "It’s seed money

for the rally. They say you can’t put more than $2,000 up."

Last week, a state Supreme Court justice ruled

that the state Lobbying Commission overstepped its bounds in a probe of Simmons’

campaign against New York’s Rockefeller drug laws.

The justice said the coalition was a temporary,

one-time entity formed to hold a rally and were not acting as lobbyists.

The NYCLU sent a letter to the New York City

Police Department on behalf of HSAN to hold the rally on 7th Avenue between

28th and 34th Streets from 2pm to 6pm on August 30.

"We intend to raise public awareness by

mobilizing tens of thousands of young people to register to vote and to speak

out about the unfairness of the Rockefeller Drug Laws," Simmons said.

Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Nas, 50 Cent,

Ludacris, Mariah Carey and Carly Simon are among those slated to attend the

rally.